Colombia: FARC-EP frees United States citizen

27-10-2013 News Release 13/178

Bogotá/Washington/Geneva (ICRC) – United States citizen, Kevin Scott Sutay, held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (FARC-EP) since 20 June 2013 has been released into the care of a team made up of representatives from the governments of Colombia, Cuba and Norway and delegates of the ICRC. The handover took place in a rural area of Tomachipán, Guaviare, in the south east of Colombia.

An ICRC doctor confirmed that the US citizen is in good physical condition to travel. “We are pleased to have facilitated his release so he can be reunited with his family,” said Jordi Raich, head of the ICRC delegation in Colombia. “In our capacity as a neutral intermediary, we reiterate the ICRC’s willingness to facilitate other release operations at the request of the parties to the conflict,” added Mr Raich.

The ICRC has facilitated the release of 19 people held by armed groups in Colombia so far in 2013. Since 1994, it has served as a neutral intermediary in the release of over 1,500 people in the country.